Common names from other countries
Teleostei (teleosts) >
Blenniiformes (Blennies) >
Dactyloscopidae (Sand stargazers)
Etymology: Platygillellus: Greek, platys = flat + Theodore Nicolas Gill (1837-1914) researcher of abyssal fishes and systematics (Ref. 45335).
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; reef-associated; depth range 0 - 30 m (Ref. 27742). Tropical; - 9°N
Western Atlantic: southern Florida, USA and Bahamas to Panama.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 6.4 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 7251)
Dorsal spines (total): 16 - 17; Dorsal soft rays (total): 15 - 16; Anal spines: 2; Anal soft rays: 25 - 26. Pale tan or white with 4 broad reddish-brown bands on side between nape and caudal fin base. Dorsal and caudal fin rays have dark spots. 3 spines in dorsal finlet (Ref. 26938).
Inhabits sand and rubble areas around coral reefs or exposed rocks. Absent from surf beaches (Ref. 27742). The reddish-brown bands along the sides of the fish serve as camouflage when the fish partially buries itself in sand (Ref. 26938).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturities | Reproduction | Spawnings | Egg(s) | Fecundities | Larvae
Dawson, C.E., 1982. Atlantic sand stargazers (Pisces: Dactyloscopidae), with description of one new genus and seven new species. Bull. Mar. Sci. 32(1):14-85. (Ref. 27742)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)
CITES (Ref. 128078)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
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Estimates based on models
Preferred temperature (Ref.
115969): 26.4 - 28.2, mean 27.5 (based on 518 cells).
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5156 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01000 (0.00244 - 0.04107), b=3.04 (2.81 - 3.27), in cm Total Length, based on all LWR estimates for this body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 4.3 ±0.6 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).